Judge Considers Tossing School-Cheating Charges

By

Cameron McWhirter and

Meredith Rutland

June 25, 2013 8:17 p.m. ET

ATLANTA—A conspiracy case stemming from one of the largest school-cheating scandals in U.S. history could be scuttled or drastically diminished if a judge rules that investigators coerced some educators into talking.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter is considering a defense motion that he strike down many, if not all, of the charges—most notably conspiracy—against the former superintendent of Atlanta's public schools and 34 other former educators. Defense lawyers say the charges are based on interviews...